In response to Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement today on a range of teacher pay proposals, Senator Janet Cruz issued the following statement:

“While I am encouraged by the $10 million for new teacher recruitment, I remain concerned about the lack of overall pay raises in the Governor’s plan. Simply put, a bonus is not a raise and will not impact the lives of all teachers throughout Florida. If we are going to end this growing teacher shortage and recruit and retain the best possible educators for our children, it is vital that Florida offer a base salary for all school personnel that is competitive with the rest of the nation. Our children’s futures are too important to continue to neglect the needs of our public school education professionals.”